Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14

Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark

The orange sunset cast a large shadow over the calm sea.

The pure white color painted on the large exterior make the vessel look like a towering fortress. The platform lowered to the harbor looked a mouth swallowing people inside the castle.

The giant Japanese ship Amenotori calmly floated on the sea with its body 200 meters in length and 30 meters in width. This 40,000-ton deep-sea ship that could go around the whole world looked majestic while it anchored. Just looking up to it was overwhelming. 

When compared to the large passenger boat illuminated by the setting sun, the line of luxury cars driving toward the entrance looked like a line of ants.

"So that's the Amenotori."

It was one of the luxury cars in line. Sitting in the rear seat of a long limousine, Ichinokuro Arisu looked up the large ship with a serious expression. She wore a dress with exposed shoulders and her hair was neatly arranged.

"Yeah."

Daisuke who was sitting next to her also nodded seriously. Only this once he didn't resent formal wear and his body was clad in a rented tuxedo.

"You should focus, Daisuke. We don't know what's going to happen."

Arisu grasped an envelope.

There was no address on the surface of the envelope too simple to be called an invitation.

"That goes without saying. We're not here to play after all."

Daisuke nodded meekly.

An envelope had been delivered to Arisu's house a few days ago.

The sender was unknown.

It contained a single ticket.

It was an invitation to a members-only cruising party set to occur on a luxury boat. An auction of some rare items appeared to be the main event, but there was no list of them.

Ignoring an envelope without a sender was natural. Besides, Arisu loathed high society parties filled with vanity and greed.

Even so the addressee written on the envelope made her want to join.

"Yeah. We'll make sure who sent us this invitation."

The addressees were Arisu and one other person.

—"Hanashiro Mari-sama".

While Arisu looked at the envelope, a shining silver morpho butterfly was fluttering outside the window next to her.

There were beings known as Mushi.

These were supernatural creatures that possessed adolescents and ate their dreams, meaning their wishes and hopes. In exchange for this they granted their hosts various supernatural abilities, and since their physical appearance resembled insects, they were called Mushi. Those possessed by Mushi were called Mushitsuki, but despite the official government stance of their non-existence, people viewed them with fear and discrimination.

The silver morpho butterfly had once possessed Hanashiro Mari, a girl who had passed away due to an illness. However, after her death she'd entrusted her Mushi to her friend Arisu.

Due to this unprecedented case, the government agency—the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—dispatched a monitor in the form of the boy known as Kusuriya Daisuke who sat next to her. He was also a Mushitsuki.

"It means that the person who'd sent this knows about Mari. Since they'd sent it not to Mari's house but to mine, there's no way they don't know."

"Even sending a car all the way to the Ichinokuro estate, it was clear they wanted to invite you."

Daisuke gazed at the driver's seat. The pair's conversation wouldn't be heard by the driver due to it being shielded by soundproof glass. The middle-aged man grabbing the steering wheel was expressionless.

"Just as we reached a dead end in investigating why Hanashiro Mari's Mushi possesses you despite her apparent death—that invitation suddenly arrived. It's much too suspicious."

Saying this, the boy cautiously looked to the cars in front and behind them. His face was completely different to when he pretended to be her classmate.

"Also, I get a nasty feeling from all those people in the other cars. On the surface they all just seem like rich people, but there's something fishy about them. Doesn't look like this is a simply party."

Being told that, Arisu also looked around the other cars. But she was only able to see a few other people, as almost all cars had tinted windows. Daisuke probably knew the difference between them and normal people.

"—If this is a trap then I wonder who called us here, and for what purpose?"

A trap.

They'd already considered this possibility. Because of that, despite them not knowing what would happen, Arisu and Daisuke were already wary.

"Who knows. Even if I have some idea, it's just a guess. Just thinking is useless."

He leaned back in an offhand manner.

Arisu looked at the silver butterfly fluttering outside the car.

How much time had passed in her search for the true intent of her friend Mari? It had been more than a year since Mari had passed away, and ever since meeting Daisuke she'd actively kept looking for clues about Mari.

Yet she'd never met Mari's acquaintances, nothing was left in her sickroom, and her diary was blank. The more Arisu tried to learn about Mari, the more she just realized her loneliness.

She'd left Arisu the morpho butterfly.

That was all.

The vestiges of Mari's life were so few that it felt like she never even existed.

"If this is a trap… it'll mean that once again we won't find out anything about Mari."

The sky was darkening. Multi-colored lights could be seen illuminating the distant townscape. The ship floating on the sea sounded its horn.

"Are there really any other clues about Mari?"

Daisuke crossed his arms and hung his head. Perhaps he was sleeping.

"No one knows anything about Mari. Her family treated her gingerly, and none of her classmates knew her… no matter where we look, there's nothing left."

She moved her gaze to the boy hanging his head.

"What do you think, Daisuke?"

"If nothing remains, I'll just finish this mission and go back to my home base in Ouka City."

Daisuke faintly opened his eyes. Just like Mari, he was one of the very few recognized as a Fusion Type.

"Hanashiro Mari died. Everything about her ended then. It's much stranger for just her Mushi to remain now."

"Do you really think so? You're speaking of Mari as if you've actually met her."

Seeing Daisuke silently avert his face, Arisu pouted.

"You've said you like quiet girls. I think you'd get along well with Mari. Did you start getting interested during the investigation?"

"I only said I hate noisy women. And how could I even be interested in someone who's dead? —What's up with you saying things like that?"

Arisu stared at him blankly.

"Does being unable to find anything about Mari means you've given up on her? Have you lost interest just because there aren't any clues?"

"I—"

Arisu silently passed her fingers on the window. Through it she touched the morpho butterfly flapping its wings.

He face reflected on the window.

The one who knew about Hanashiro Mari was always at her side. —Arisu herself would never forget her.

"Even if we can't find any clues, I know because I've always been with her. This morpho butterfly will tell me about Mari one day."

Arisu's reflection smiled.

"Even if it's a trap, I say bring it on. The more Mushitsuki we meet, the more the morpho butterfly will tell me about Mari. —That's how I feel."

Daisuke sighed in exasperation.

"Do you realize that Mushi only takes action when you're in danger?"

"No matter what happens I won't die. Until I'm gone there'll always be people who remember Mari."

Seeing Arisu flash an unhesitant smile, Daisuke wore a resigned smile.

"Will you help me too, Daisuke? It's your mission."

"Yeah, it's my mission. But—"

Daisuke nodded, then glanced at the back window. Yet soon his face reddened, and he awkwardly averted his gaze.

Arisu was also bothered since a while ago, yet she pretended to not notice for now. The truth was that even during the talk between them, they could hear pleasant-sounding voices of sleep.

"Why did we have to bring this idiot here, too…?"

"Since it said the ticket's for three people… She told us to get her free meals…"

Occupying the large seat was a girl sleeping in an unladylike fashion. Her long, blonde hair was disorderly, and since she was nearly falling off the seat the hem of her dress exposed her white legs.

She was Kasuou, a member of the SEPB just like Daisuke. Normally she acted in a support role, monitoring Arisu while Daisuke was not present.

Probably feeling the pair's gazes on her, the blonde girl twitched and opened her eyes.

"…Nga? Hwah, what, are we there already? Whoa, what's up with that getup? Daisuke-san, what have you done to me while I was sleeping?"

"You idi…! Who'd ever lay a hand on you!"

"There goes our serious talk…"

Ignoring the two Mushitsuki starting a fruitless argument, Arisu sighed deeply.

Their limousine finally reached the entrance to Amenotori. Guided by the staff, the car advanced toward the parking lot inside the ship.

The limousine stopped and the door opened from outside. Arisu and the rest got off the car.

The smell of the sea and the slight sensation of shaking at their feet told them they were inside the ship. They could see the lit entrance on the other side of the gloomy space.

The staff member that opened the limousine door wordlessly placed a suitcase in front of the trio.

Inside were masks of various shapes.

"Huh? You're telling us to put those?"

The staff member silently smiled at Kasuou's question. He seemed to affirm.

"Are everyone like this in the party?"

"Well, who knows?"

Arisu took a mask that hid her eyes. Daisuke picked a mask that hid his entire face, and Kasuou one that hid her face with a veil.

After wearing the masks, they were directed to the entrance. They narrowed their eyes reflexively due to the bright light.

Coming into the main lobby, Arisu and the rest were greeted by a tall figure.

"I knew you'd definitely take up the invitation, Ichinokuro Arisu."

The person standing in the middle of the staircase looked down on them. Clad in a strangely-designed suit, he was emitting an intimidating air that couldn't be fully concealed.

Although he was wearing a mask, Arisu could never forget the voice that seemed like it echoed in the pit of her stomach. She immediately realized who he was.

"I'm honored to have received your invitation."

Even while feeling cold sweat form on her forehead, Arisu smiled. She could feel that Daisuke and Kasuou behind her readied themselves.

"So it really was a trap," Daisuke muttered.

The person removed his mask.

"Harukiyo."

Arisu called his name.

"I welcome you all to the worst auction party."

Calmly, the boy with the flame-patterned tattoo on his cheek gave the smile of a devil.

Part 1

When they arrived at the main hall the party had already started.

With delightful musical being played in the background, the many people dressed in all colors were engaged in friendly chatter. Everyone hid their faces with masks, and they reached out for the food on the tables.

Circular windows lined up the wall surface of the wide hall, and the city's lights could be seen from afar. The passenger boat had already been sailing on the sea for some time.

At the back of the hall was an elevated stage. On both sides were a musical band playing the piano and wind instruments. A large monitor was installed at the back of the stage.

The masked men and women smiled at each other in this dim hall.

But even in this whimsical scene there was something abnormal.

"There's still some time until the fun starts. Just take it easy."

Greeting Arisu and the rest in the main lobby, the boy who'd led them there—Sehateno Harukiyo—mumbled Well, come along, and turned around.

Right now they couldn't feel any hostility from him. Yet they couldn't lower their guard.

"What have you brought us all here for?"

Next to the apprehensive Arisu, Daisuke glared at Harukiyo.

"Have you also organized this party? There have to be limits to poor taste."

"Huh? Why you little… Do I look like the sort of person that throws these kinds of parties? I'm not boasting, but I don't have that kinda money. Actually, since I'd bought the ticket I'd sent to you, I had to skip lunch for a while. Make it up for me."

Suddenly faced with unreasonable anger, Arisu and Daisuke became speechless. Harukiyo approached a table and grabbed some food.

"What's up with all this? You can't just call people out like this… Is there something in this party?"

"I just happened to overhear an interesting small rumor. If that rumor is true, something's interesting gonna happen in this party. I wanted to show you that as well."

Arisu and Daisuke exchanged glances.

"I have no clue what that guy's thinking about. Stay alert."

Daisuke whispered to her. Frowning, Arisu nodded.

At the very least, it doesn't seem like he's planning to suddenly attack us…

Feeling unsatisfied, she listlessly looked to the side. When she did she noticed Kasuou at another table. At a glance she seemed to be behaving well, but she took the food that the other guests were trying to reach.

"Kasuou… the enemy's right in front of you, be a bit more wary."

"If I don't eat when I have the chance, I wouldn't be able to fight when push comes to shove."

Her grinning mouth was covered in red chili sauce. While wiping her mouth with a napkin, she narrowed her eyes like a cat.

"Besides—if we're gonna fight, we should do it further from the beach. I can't let that flame bastard escape like he always does."

Asserting this in a low voice, Kasuou glanced at Harukiyo. For an instant it looked like they were glaring at each other, but the next instant they started stuffing their cheeks full of food as if competing.

"Hey, Daisuke. I feel like I'm losing IQ points by watching those two."

"…You lose if you get caught up in their idiocy."

Just by seeing how the Special Type Mushitsuki were eating made her stomach feel full. Arisu decided to avoid the food, instead going to peek out of the window.

At some point it started raining outside.

The sea surface lit by the distant city's light was white with foam. It was also getting windy.

Yet the Amenotori was heavy enough so that not a single tremor was felt. —For now, at least.

She could see a silver morpho butterfly flying through the rain outside.

"How's your right hand?"

She turned around at this sudden address. Daisuke stood next to her, holding a drink. He apparently didn't plan on letting his eyes off Arisu as her monitor.

"It's fine, it doesn't feel numb anymore. …What is it, Daisuke? You're thinking that Mari's Mushi did something to me, right?"

"It isn't Hanashiro Mari's. You probably already know that the SEPB has designated you as a Mushitsuki, right? Meaning this is your Mushi. A Mushi affecting its host badly is obvious."

"I don't think of that morpho butterfly as my Mushi. I mean, I don't feel it at all. Never mind the SEPB, what do you think, Daisuke?"

"What I think doesn't matter at all. No matter who it belongs to, a Mushi is dangerous. You simply don't realize that danger—"

"Arisu Heel Attack!"

She put all of her strength into her heel, stepping on Daisuke's foot.

"Deflecting the conversation when it's about you is a bad habit of yours. I'll ask again. What do YOU think?"

Holding his trembling leg, Daisuke spoke in a low voice while stifling his anger.

"…Until now I've seen more different Mushitsuki than anyone. They had all sorts of shapes and abilities—too many kinds to count, and there were also countless hosts with abilities surpassing my expectations."

"Hmm?"

"Yet there's only one kind of Mushitsuki I've never met."

Daisuke slowly rose up.

Arisu raised an eyebrow.

Ever since meeting Mari and Daisuke, Arisu had met with all kinds of Mushitsuki. Starting with Daisuke who could fuse with his own Mushi, there was someone who could fix anything in an instant, someone with the ability to poison the mind, the ability to see a Mushi's past, and abilities materializing through the mediums of flames or mist; all sorts of Mushi.

Even among those she'd met recently there were varied kinds. So Daisuke's own experience, as someone who'd been fighting since long ago, was probably unfathomable.

Yet even he hadn't seen a certain kind of Mushitsuki—

"I've never seen a Mushitsuki with a Mushi identical to another person's."

Daisuke glared at the butterfly fluttering outside the window.

"I've seen Mushitsuki with camouflage abilities, but that camouflage itself was their ability. I don't believe there's any Mushi with the exact same ability as another's. —Even Mushitsuki with the same dream have different forms and abilities."

Mushitsuki with the same dream. When he said this, she could see Daisuke biting his lips for an instant.

"Also—a Mushi that doesn't disappear even after its host is dead is not unheard of."

"Huh?"

She didn't know that. When the host died the Mushi should have also been gone. She'd heard that this was why the morpho butterfly was a unique case.

"I haven't heard about that. What's that, Daisuke? Hiding something from me again?"

"It's not like I'm hiding it. I just remembered it now myself—or rather I haven't thought of that. …Right, there was that case, too. No, but Mari was supposed to have died of illness. So that can't—but wait, if the host anticipated their death and made their Mushi fully eat their dreams what would happen? There's no way that…"

Daisuke leaned forward and muttered to himself in deep thought, ignoring Arisu.

She had no idea what he was speaking about. Arisu became angry.

"Arisu Double Heel Attack!"

"Uwah! W-wait, it's just my misunderstanding. Such a thing's impossible. No matter how that butterfly looks it's stable…"

Saying this, Daisuke turned silent again. He stared at Arisu.

"So what'll happen if there's a new host…? No, but that's—"

"This pattern again? Stop ignoring your mistress."

Even Arisu's gesture of raising her heel again went unnoticed by Daisuke.

Since he didn't seem to be running away, she stepped on him without hesitating. He once again cowered wordlessly.

"Hah… you're muttering to yourself even when there's this many people around. That's why you don't have any decent friends."

Leaving aside Daisuke who reproached her with a "Mind your own business!", Arisu left toward the table to the side. Since she'd been talking she became thirsty.

As she tried taking a glass of champagne, she raised her head.

She heard a click.

Looking to the side, she saw a masked man do something suspicious. He used a small camera hidden in his pocket to snap a picture of the party.

Noticing Arisu's gaze, the man was surprised. But perhaps thinking her a harmless kid, he put a finger to his exposed mouth.

Please keep it a secret, he seemed to be saying. Arisu tilted her head.

"Arisu."

Having her arm pulled, she turned back.

Daisuke grabbed her arm, pointing at the window with his chin. She saw that the rain and wind grew fierce. However, other than that—

"Something's weird with the morpho butterfly."

Just like Daisuke said, the butterfly was fluttering wildly above the dark ocean's surface. Its silver shine was rapidly growing brighter.

"W-what's wrong with it?"

While Arisu was confused, there was a groan at her back.

Turning back to the hall, the man from before collapsed on his knees. He held his stomach in pain, finally falling listlessly.

The surprised participants nearby all distanced themselves from the man.

"I do not know where you came from, but please follow the rules. It is forbidden to film inside the party. Please heed this warning, understood?"

There was an instant icy-cold atmosphere around.

In contrast to the guests, a person came near the collapsed man.

He was a white-haired youth.

"Well, since we haven't warned anyone it is obvious you didn't know it."

Just like all the other participants he was wearing a white mask—no, he was actually exposing his real face while wearing a mask-like smile. He was a boy clad in tuxedo.

"You might be a pro journalist looking for a scoop, but I am also employed as a pro. Well, you just had back luck, so give up."

Arisu crossed gazes with the boy smiling coldly. She felt a chill.

She had never seen someone who looks down on people this much—

Soon large men wearing black approached.

"What do we do, Jit?"

"One of our guests felt unwell and collapse. Please accompany him to the sickbay."

Nodding toward the boy called Jit, the men grabbed the fallen man's arms. A red color could be seen gradually dyeing the man's suit. He groaned with all of his might, but apparently was unable to move on his own.

"Wait!"

Coming to her senses, Arisu called toward Jit's group.

"You… what did you do to this person?"

"What a strange thing to ask."

Jit turned around, looking at Arisu's face. The mask-like, cold smile caused a chill run through her spine.

No, the air around Arisu actually became colder. It made her skin crawl.

"You're asking this as if you had seen me do anything."

"—Sorry. It was our bad."

The one who responded to Jit was Daisuke. He grabbed Arisu's shoulders and drew her back.

"Stop it. This doesn't seem like a normal party."

"But—"

As Daisuke whispered in her ear, Arisu still hounded on.

Seeing the pair quarrel, Jit chuckled. He turned back toward the other participants around.

"Sorry for the trouble. Please don't mind it and patiently wait for the main event."

Bowing elegantly, he left without even looking at Arisu and the rest.

Instead it was Kasuou who approached them. She was in a good mood, perhaps due to filling her stomach with food.

"Looks like some kinda bouncer. And he seems quite experienced for his age. I'm also interested in that main event or whatever, so stop it."

"You too, Kasuou? I'd have thought you would've attacked him straight on."

"I'm full right now and can't move, so don't decide for me I'm gonna fight."

"There's a thing as too much freedom…"

Distancing herself from Daisuke who glared at her, Arisu checked the situation outside from the window.

The rain and wind seemed to grow fiercer, but the butterfly's movements settled down. Its shine was also gone.

Arisu thought of its glow as a warning. Until now, whenever that happened there were some Mushitsuki nearby.

And if so, the phenomenon just now was—

"C'mon. The main event's about to start."

When she turned around, Harukiyo was smiling calmly in the center of the hall.

"Or more like, you all come here since I'm too full to move."

"…You guys are really…"

Feeling it too silly to be wary, Arisu approached Harukiyo. Daisuke and Kasuou followed suit.

A waiter appeared, handing them plastic cards. These all had different three-digit numbers.

"This is?"

"Member numbers. And their use should be obvious."

Harukiyo threw his own card on the table. He apparently didn't intend to use it.

"What's about to start here?"

Harukiyo did nothing but smile to her question.

The hall suddenly became dark. Instead the stage was lit up.

Starting with Arisu, the guests' eyes all focused on it.

A suited woman stood on the stage, bowing deeply to the audience. The boy called Jit could be seen waiting to the side of the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gathering here for our auction party tonight. We always change the time and the place of this popular party, but this night we decided to welcome all you members to a nightly cruising."

The suited woman fluently handled the introductory greetings. She seemed to be the party's hostess.

"We are confident we have gathered excellent items that would satisfy you, and the participants also grew in number, so we are also ready to do our best. To you ladies and gentlemen who have both refined eyes and refined wallets, you should also be ready to do your best."

Several people in the audience laughed at the joke. But since their mouths were covered by masks, it was impossible to tell who was laughing.

Just like the woman said, all people Arisu could see seemed to be wealthy. Other than people dressed in lavish suits, there were also young women who looked like attendants, as well as servants.

The party had an abnormal atmosphere. Everyone looked like they watched over the progress of the party and no one removed their eyes from the stage.

Feels creepy for some reason—

Looking at the woman talking on the stage, Arisu grimaced.

"Also, this time we appear to have the most participants ever. This is also due to our efforts today—is what we would like to think, but is that truly all? The sharp-eared among you have probably heard rumors about an item here."

"Heh, it wasn't a rumor or nothing, you're the ones who passed the information. Well, it was thanks to that that I came to learn of it."

Arisu was just about to ask the sneering Harukiyo what he was talking about.

A dazzling light illuminated the hall. The huge monitor behind the facilitator turned on.

The spectators raised a voice of wonder.

The image was split into two, showing close-ups of girls with identical faces. They seemed to be around Arisu's age or slightly above it, and they wore pretty hair accessories. The image showed them down to their shoulders, so they could be seen wearing differently colored dresses.

—Actually, looking closely, their faces were not the exact same. One's eyes were a bit drooping, and the other one had kind, slanted eyes.

They weren't the same person.

They were twins.

"Let us not meaninglessly put on airs in this volatile situation but simply make a small introduction. The item you are about to view is the masterpiece that will close our auction."

Arisu widened her eyes.

She couldn't immediately understand the hostess's words.

"So it's human trafficking."

Hearing Daisuke spit out those words, she finally recovered. Even Kasuou, who was until then yawning in disinterest, sharpened her gaze for an instant.

"They're going to… sell these girls?"

Although her reasoning power returned, her feelings couldn't catch up. Even before anger started welling in her, she simply couldn't understand the situation.

"Not yet. Now's the fun part."

Astonished, she looked at Harukiyo.

Fun, he said?

This time she did feel anger. Yet Arisu had her eyes robbed by the scene on the screen.

"Other than this item's first-rate beauty, it also possesses the greatest special feature among our lineup."

Not only Arisu became speechless.

Daisuke was also paralyzed as if forgetting to breath. Kasuou, too.

The close-up images of the twins changed to a video. The twins huddled close together inside somewhere that looked like an old warehouse. From the other side then appeared two tigers.

While assaulted by the tigers, the two girls neither shrieked nor ran away. Instead they combined their hands and shot firm gazes at the tigers.

Something black crawled up the girls' back. Two sharp claws then appeared like a phantom.

There were two of these claws, both in the length of several meters. After them the rest of the body materialized. On the several legs climbing up the girls' slender legs, four wet, sparkling eyes could be seen. The sharp claws skewered the tigers.

Each girl had a strange monster sporting a giant claw.

The Mushi resembled a long-armed mantis—and there were two identical ones.

—I've never seen a Mushitsuki with a Mushi identical to another person's.

The two mantises were what Daisuke said he'd never seen. Their single claw, their appearance, and even their fighting style were all exactly the same.

"Item no. 99, "Urara & Kirara"—the two Mushitsuki girls."

The hostess's voice echoed in the now-silent hall.

Part 2

In front of the shocked Arisu and the rest, the hostess proceeded to explain about the twins.

"These are no special effects or CGI here; with our pride upon our various items until now, we can assure you it is the real deal. When the auction begins you will be able to see it in action and ascertain it directly with your own eyes."

Only now did the party start mumbling. Seeing the twin girls able to control the fantastical monster, it was obvious everyone was scared.

But for them, this fear would only urge their collection mania. They fixed their eyes on the footage, engrossed.

"Mushi's existence is officially not recognized by the country and they are twin Mushitsuki, too, so this is an extremely precious item. Since plenty of you ladies and gentlemen like to collect endangered species that are illegal to hunt, this could be another masterpiece for your collection."

Arisu silently clenched her fist.

She knew at a glance the footage wasn't made up. She had seen quite a few real Mushi. She knew the difference between real and fake.

"At a glance the twins seem dangerous, but they can't bring out their Mushi unless they're in the same place. Even now we took advantage of this and kept them in separate places on the ship. This will be done the same when they are purchased, so there is no danger. The only warning for their usage is to not mix the dangerous chemicals together."

Once again everyone laughed at her joke. On the other side of the laughing audience Jit could be seen smiling coldly.

—Arisu was at her limits.

Turning around, she started walking toward the hall entrance. As she succumbed to her violent emotions she didn't even notice that Harukiyo had vanished at some point.

"Wait, Arisu. Where're you—"

Daisuke tried grabbing her shoulder to stop her, but she slapped his hand away.

"We thought of trying to hold back your excitement, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. We also have other valuable items. Please purchase them first and patiently wait for the turn of our centerpiece. —Item no. 1 is a rare animal with practically none circulating in the market due to hunting restrictions, this white jaguar is…"

Around Arisu, the participants raised the plates with their member numbers and started shouting prices.

A dark auction of illegal items.

Arisu finally realized the intent behind this bizarre mask party.

She heard Daisuke clicking his tongue. Two sets of footsteps followed her from behind.

"Arisu! No way, are you…"

Violently opening the door, she exited to the corridor.

Two large men standing at the doorway turned around, surprised.

"Obviously."

She grabbed the handle of a lamp standing nearby. Whoosh, she swung it with accustomed movements, slamming the edge to the floor to smash it.

"I'm going to save those twins. They said they're on this ship."

The black-wearing men were startled. "Now what do you mean by that, dear guest?" they tried cornering Arisu.

Her body moved reflexively. Swinging the long stick and using centrifugal force, she struck the man's knee.

"Stop, idiot!"

Daisuke's restraint went in one ear and out of the other. After striking the man's knees by surprise, she thrust the lamp's stand at his chin. It detached from the pole by the blow's impact.

Arisu unleashed all of the staff techniques pounded into her by the Ichinokuro family training. She'd been taught more than enough on how to fight even against opponents with a large weight gap.

The edge of the stick was thrust to the neck of the collapsed man holding his chin. With Arisu staring at the other man while taking his partner hostage, he stopped moving.

"Where are the twins located on this ship? Please answer truthfully."

A morpho butterfly appeared from the other side of the corridor, landing on her shoulder.

"Ooh, how scary. You're going berserk."

Ignoring Kasuou who laughed as if this situation had nothing to do with her, Daisuke stood in front of Arisu.

"Stupid Arisu! Stop this!"

The boy's hand grabbed the pole.

"Do something about your bad habit to act so rashly! Going on a rampage here will accomplish nothing! We simply need to contact the SEPB once we return to shore and let the members take care of it."

"Then are you telling me to just stand by and watch while these girls are being sold?"

Daisuke glared right back at Arisu's serious gaze. He then spoke with a cold voice.

"No matter who buys them, they'll be apprehended once we go back to shore. It's not a big deal."

"It's not a big deal… you say?"

Arisu clenched her teeth. Removing her right hand from the pole, she grabbed Daisuke's tuxedo.

She couldn't understand why Daisuke wasn't angry. From her point of view he should have naturally been as angry as her.

And yet he wasn't.

That boy was always like that. When it was about Mushitsuki he killed his emotions and tried acting like a machine.

"It's a Mushitsuki like you, Daisuke! A Mushitsuki just like you!"

She grabbed his suit forcefully and brought his face closer.

Yet his expression didn't change. Arisu bit her lips and kept speaking.

"Aren't they the same as Neiko-san, Ayuyu-san, and Kasuou who's standing right there? They're your comrades! How can you be this cold? You're a Mushitsuki, so why aren't you thinking of saving Mushitsuki?!"

"Comrades? They're nothing but a hindrance."

Daisuke snorted in laughter. He grabbed Arisu's arm back.

"You sympathize with people too much regardless of who they are. Those twins aren't Hanashiro Mari. Don't you understand this?"

"But they're Mushitsuki like her."

Arisu and Daisuke's gazes intersected.

"You said something like that before. If that Mushitsuki with the same dream as yours… if that Fuyuhotaru girl was sold right in front of your eyes, would you still be that cold?"

The girl's words appeared to have more of an effect than she thought. Daisuke's expression changed.

"Never mention that name again. —I already told you so."

He scowled at her with the sort of tone that made him known as the demon Kakkou among fellow Mushitsuki. It was rare for him to let out this voice while not wearing his goggles.

"So you really are angry."

Arisu didn't falter.

"Why are you hiding your anger?"

Daisuke merely grimaced at her words. Instead of replying, he grasped Arisu's hand harder.

Creak—it happened with the sound of something grating.

Turning around, black mist filled Arisu's vision.

Using her abilities, Kasuou crucified the standing men to the wall. She assaulted the men with countless claws and asked them something in a whisper.

"Kasuou!"

Daisuke looked at her with reproach. Kasuou slowly turned toward him.

"Why are you trying to stop her, Kakkou?"

"Monitoring her is my job. You're also forgetting that you're here for support—"

"Yeah, monitoring. This isn't protecting her, or pretending to be her friend."

"…!"

"When I'd heard you were working so that your monitoring target won't suffer any harm I thought it was strange. Our job's not protecting her. It's to watch her and judge whether her actions are dangerous or not, right? Also—"

Kasuou's blue eyes sparkled with a dangerous light.

"What did you just say, you bastard? You called me a hindrance? You're the hindrance, since I'm only here to capture Ichinokuro Arisu if she proves dangerous."

Daisuke became speechless. Receiving the two girls' gazes, he gritted his teeth.

The claws made of mist pounded the black-suited men's heads. They threw the two unconscious men into the corridor's shadow.

"The twins are apparently confined in a cabin at the stern of the ship and a warehouse in the deepest area. What do we do?"

"Kasuou… have you also started sympathizing with the twins' situation?"

"Don't ask an unranked member like me difficult questions. I just need to fight."

"Let's go."

Shaking off Daisuke's hand, Arisu walked through the corridor. The morpho butterfly followed.

"…Shit."

Although he couldn't agree to it, Daisuke tried continuing after Arisu. Yet she turned around, thrusting the metallic rod at his nose.

"I'll save the girl inside the cabin. —Daisuke, please save the one in the warehouse."

Daisuke widened his eyes.

"Wha…! Don't screw with me, why do I—"

"If they discover we saved one of them, they might hide the other one someplace else. So we have to split up. Once we save them we need to meet up in some easy location—I know, in front of the main deck."

"So you can just let Kasuou do that! Monitoring you is my job."

"Daisuke, you will save her."

She asserted flatly.

"Aren't you the strongest Mushitsuki? Saving people should be easy for you."

She turned on her heels, walking toward the elevator.

"If you come with me I won't stand for it." After she said this, Daisuke's footsteps stopped.

"Oh boy, that's the worst possible thing to ask of him."

While going with Arisu, Kasuou stifled her laughter.

"There's no way that guy ever saved anyone."

As if to affirm the blonde girl's words—

The boy standing at the corridor couldn't say anything to Arisu.

Part 3

Going up the stairs, Daisuke sat on the rails.

He crossed his arms, looking to a certain corner of the hall.

"Why do I have to save Mushitsuki? And didn't you consider the possibility I'd kill their Mushi and make them Fallen?"

Daisuke's original job wasn't saving Mushitsuki. It was to capture them, and depending on the case turn them powerless by killing their Mushi.

Arisu should've also known that.

Even so—she told him to save a Mushitsuki. Even if he pretended not to listen to her, she seemed likely to go on a rampage.

He hadn't the slightest of intentions to help anyone.

He'd let Arisu have her way. It was all a bother.

"Oh, but they said those twins can't summon their Mushi unless they're together. Then it'll be difficult to kill it…"

He recalled this along with his anger.

Just like the hostess said, the footage they saw in the hall was real. The things they'd seen were undoubtedly two Mushi and it seemed like the twins were their hosts.

It was of the popular Minion Type that mainly attacked with fangs and claws. The only point of interest was them being exactly the same.

No identical Mushi existed.

Daisuke's assumption had been overturned.

"I'm interested in that Mushi…"

He looked down the stairs.

One of the twins was apparently inside a warehouse.

"…"

He would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in two different Mushitsuki with the exact same Mushi.

But even so, he didn't like Arisu's words. Heading to the warehouse would be following her orders.

"…Tch."

After thinking, Daisuke started going down the stairs.

He couldn't just stand there.

He had to confirm with his own eyes what he was interested in. Heading to the warehouse was for his investigation, not for saving the twins. —He decided to treat it like this.

"There's no way I can save anyone in the first place."

Although he had saved people indirectly due to the flow of events, he'd never been on any mission with saving someone as the goal.

He found a map of the ship in the dance hall down the stairs and memorized it.

The cabins were in floors 5 to 2, and the warehouse was apparently in the lowest floor. He also recalled seeing another entrance for things other than cars when he'd boarded the Amenotori.

"I have to quickly finish this and go back to monitor that woman…"

While muttering to himself, he went down the empty stairs. Feeling someone's presence in the corridor as he reached the first floor, he promptly entered the office kitchenette.

He slightly opened the door to survey the situation just as two large men passed by. They were probably guards employed by the auction's organizers—no, probably bodyguards.

He'd been through infiltration missions to special facilities many times in the past. Mushitsuki running away from the SEPB's pursuit would go into many places. Daisuke would then find these hiding Mushitsuki and turn them into Fallens.

Since bringing his SEPB gear into the party would be suspicious he didn't have it. His pistol was hidden behind his back, but he wanted to avoid using excessive force on civilians.

Exiting the room, he went down the stairs again. A main lobby with a hanging chandelier appeared.

Silencing his footsteps, Daisuke nimbly crossed the lobby. He entered the corridor to the side and kept advancing.

"I'm also worried about Harukiyo vanishing, and it seems better to finish this up as soon as possible and regroup."

This time was also a vain attempt regarding the investigation of Hanashiro Mari.

He had no idea why Harukiyo had invited Arisu there. He was probably up to no good anyway.

"Not to mention Kasuou's defiance… I hate everything that happened here."

Normally he would've fended off Kasuou's abusive language. Yet only today he was unable to say anything back, and so was angry at himself.

When he could see the entrance connecting to the parking area, Daisuke hid himself in the corridor's shadow.

A burly man blocked the entrance. Because of the contents of the auction, even while floating in the middle of the sea they hadn't relaxed their security.

Now, what to do—

Daisuke began thinking, but it was all useless effort.

He could hear an impact sound from somewhere in the ship. It felt as if the entire ship trembled.

The guard frantically put the radio to his mouth. After saying something, he passed next to the hidden Daisuke, walking toward the lobby.

"—Those two together can't help but make a ruckus, huh?"

He held his head. One of them probably grew impatient of waiting.

Moving quietly now was silly, so Daisuke just entered the parking area.

Shouts flew around the narrow space packed full of cars. The parking area was connected to the warehouse. The men watching over one of the twins noticed Daisuke.

A green glow alighted down on Daisuke's shoulder.

It was a checkered beetle with long antennae. Immediately after landing on Daisuke, its body morphed, becoming countless tentacles that stabbed into his skin.

A green glowing pattern emerged in addition to Daisuke's mask and tuxedo.

The man leapt at him with no questions asked, so Daisuke's fist struck his chin. Although taller by a head, the man flew through air, and Daisuke's unrelenting kick hit his stomach.

Struck by the man blown away, several other men also crashed against the wall and fainted.

A metallic sound reverberated farther inside the parking place.

The two men blocking the warehouse entrance pulled guns out of their pockets. Compared to dealing with the items sold in the auction, obtaining firearms was probably easy.

Gunfire echoed.

Daisuke kicked the ground, avoiding the trajectory of the bullets. He moved behind cars with superhuman agility. Fusion Type Mushitsuki could merge with their Mushi, thereby enhancing their physical abilities by dozens of times.

Closing the distance in an instant, Daisuke swung his fist toward the worker-use elevator.

His green glowing fist struck it.

Along with a great din, the elevator was blown toward the large men.

It grazed the escaping men and struck the warehouse entrance. The door was destroyed along with the concrete wall, slowly collapsing.

The men hurriedly trying to rouse themselves received Daisuke's kicks. They held their stomachs and collapsed, unable to move.

"…"

The green tentacles left Daisuke's body. The original checkered beetle landed on his shoulder.

Climbing on top of the ruins of the concrete door, he entered the warehouse.

The inside was as large as a basketball court and dark. The lamps hanging from the ceiling illuminated the now-silent warehouse.

"Who is this?"

He heard a shaking voice from the corner of the warehouse.

A dress-wearing girl peeked at him from behind the mountains of cargo.

"Kakkou."

Standing on the rubble, Daisuke used his SEPB name. Although he wasn't wearing his coat and goggles, the fact he hid his face with a mask was unchanged.

"Kakkou…?"

The girl grimaced in fear. From what he saw on video, she was the twin with the softer face. He couldn't tell whether she was Urara or Kirara and which of them was the older sister.

Even in this situation she didn't seem to bring out her Mushi. Apparently the story that they couldn't summon their Mushi unless together was true.

If she'd brought it here I'd be able to make her a Fallen though—

Daisuke mentally clicked his tongue. He'd lost his pretext to attack her.

"So I can only save her…"

"…Have you come to save me?"

She probably heard Daisuke's mutter. In contrast to his expectations, her expression sparkled. She tried coming out from behind the shadow of cargo.

"Well, I'll hand you over to the SEPB once we reach the shore, though."

He ended up saying.

"Ehhh?"

The girl's complexion changed, and she once again hid herself.

Shit, he regretted. Daisuke held his head, and finally noticed.

"Hey, you. Why'd you know about the SEPB?"

"…"

"Don't answer if you don't want to. The SEPB will catch you no matter what. It won't change that."

He didn't care about what she said or did in the least. Since he'd hand in the twins to the SEPB anyway, as long as they were out on the sea it didn't matter where he took her at all.

What a farce. Daisuke turned around, intending to leave.

"W-wait…!"

Yet the girl's voice called to him.

"What about my big sister? What's Urara doing?"

"Another person's saving her right now. —I dunno if she's safe or not, though."

He turned around. Kirara, the dress-wearing girl, was teary-eyed.

"T-take me to Urara…"

"Why should I. I finished off the guards. If you want to, then go alone."

"Take me to Urara… Please…"

When Daisuke acted coldly he caused the girl to break down crying. Seeing her like this made him angrier and angrier.

"You didn't bring out your Mushi even when in danger and you won't even try to escape on your own… Are you actually a Mushitsuki?"

Seeing such a weak Mushitsuki was rare.

But despite his question, Kirara merely repeated take me to Urara over and over.

"Hey—"

His anger reaching its limits, Daisuke quickly lowered himself to the ground. Approaching the cowering girl, he grabbed her head and dragged her face violently.

"I'm asking if you're actually a Mushitsuki."

Kirara made a pained face, wet with tears. Yet she nodded once.

"How come you've been caught here? How d'you know about the SEPB?"

"…T-they found out about us being Mushitsuki… We were chased by those SEPB people… and saved by this guy called Jit—"

"Saved? You were just caught by the same kind of villains."

These were not rare circumstances for those who became Mushitsuki. He had no intention to sympathize.

But being chased by the SEPB meant that the twins really were Mushitsuki. Knowing this, Daisuke felt his anger well up further and further.

"So you thought you were being saved and just walked away with him? Are you stupid? No matter where you run to, no matter how much you run away, there aren't any guys who'd save us Mushitsuki! You're the only ones who can protect yourselves. Why doesn't everyone throw away this kind of naïve thinking already?!"

Why were they the only ones suffering?

Many Mushitsuki thought this. No, it was probably that almost all Mushitsuki thought so.

He was sick of it already.

The more he met with such Mushitsuki, the more he felt disgusted.

Daisuke was different. He'd never think of such people as his comrades.

"Urara…"

Kirara raised her face and looked at Daisuke.

"Urara's different. Urara only protects me…!"

"Is your sister strong, unlike you?"

As Daisuke asked her calmly, Kirara bit her lips and nodded.

"No. And even if it was so, it's not that she protects you because she's strong."

Asserting this clearly, Daisuke kept walking toward the exit.

"She's strong because she's protecting you."

If Mushitsuki hadn't a strong conviction to protect their dream until the end, they would end up losing to their own Mushi.

That was the unshakable truth Daisuke had found.

And it wasn't like that just for Mushitsuki.

"You too. You're not running away because you're weak. You're weak because you keep running away."

Turning around, he glanced at Kirara.

"Since you're weak, you aren't able to protect your sister when it counts."

Kirara widened her eyes. She simply stood stock-still, completely speechless.

He had no intention to keep up this silly conversation. He left the warehouse with the intention to meet up with Arisu and Kasuou.

Yet he noticed footsteps coming from behind him. Turning around, he could see Kirara biting her lips and trying to say something while following him.

"Don't come along. You can wait shaking inside until someone comes to rescue you."

He glared at her, but she didn't listen to what he said. She glared back at him with teary eyes.

"I won't save you no matter what happens."

"…"

"If you have something to say then do it. You're annoying."

Even at Daisuke's words, Kirara merely averted her face. Yet when he started walking, she also followed him.

"Shit, they're doing nothing but annoying me…"

Although feeling indignant, Daisuke went with Kirara and left the parking area behind.

Part 4

The mist filling the corridor coagulated into countless claws.

"As if I'd be moving around stealthily when it's such a pain!"

The overwhelming destructive power of the claws blew the large men away along with the ceiling and walls.

"You can't kill them, Kasuou!"

Kasuou snorted at Arisu's shout.

"I'd obviously not fight seriously when they're not even Mushitsuki. —Hmm?"

A dry rupturing sound echoed.

It was gunfire.

They probably came there after hearing all the destruction. New bodyguards appeared from the direction Arisu and Kasuou had come from. They pointed their guns at them and pulled the trigger in succession.

Arisu reflexively curled her body, but such evasive action was meaningless.

The mist bursting from Kasuou's body caught any and all incoming bullets. The blonde girl shrouded in mist started walking toward the men.

But that caused them to withdraw, frightened.

Kasuou clicked her tongue and stopped.

"…Tch. I'm not afraid of any guns, but my range is limited. Or more like I can't exactly chase them down right now."

Kasuou pulled a single chair left in the corridor for weary guests, putting it down in the center of the corridor. She sat down, crossing her legs elegantly.

"Hey, Spear-Type. I'll stop the guys coming from here. We've also cleared up those guys from the other side, so go finish your job already."

"My name's Arisu."

While protesting, Arisu was puzzled.

"Is that fine? It's rare for you to help me."

"I'm just so full that if I make sudden movements I'll get heartburn. Let me rest for a bit…"

"…I see, take care."

Kasuou grinned while leaning her elbows on the armrest and then her chin on her hands.

"We're far more suited for wilds things like this rather than saving people anyway. Also, I think I know what Harukiyo's after."

"What do you mean?"

"I have no obligation to you. Go on already, there might be other ways to reach that cabin."

Kasuou's expression seemed like she was waiting for something. Arisu had no idea what she was thinking about, but there was no doubt she was helping her save the twins.

"Thank you!"

Saying her thanks, she rushed down the corridor. She heard a surprised Huuh? coming from behind.

As the gunfire grew distant, the corridor became dark.

Suddenly a flash ran through the corridor.

Just as she wondered why, the cause was readily apparent. The sea reflected from the window was raging. The flash was caused by lightning.

She felt her feet sway.

It was a storm large enough for even the large Amenotori to lose balance. And the wind and rain only seemed to grow fiercer.

"There."

She saw a dead end on the other side of the corridor. It was the cabin where one of the twins had been confined in.

The guards who had run over to them before due to the ruckus were collapsed there and Arisu had already snagged the cabin's key. She ran toward the cabin.

"I wonder if Daisuke managed to save the other one."

That boy she had forced to go save one of the twins had probably reached the warehouse. As long as he followed what she said, that is.

Daisuke was strong.

He probably had to be ruthless in order to survive many times in the past. Perhaps throwing away all sorts of things was what allowed him to become this strong.

But there was something Arisu realized by spending time with him.

Some kindness still remained in Daisuke. He just didn't let it show on the surface in order to protect his strength. —Even though he feigned calmness, Daisuke was always hesitating.

"What's wrong with some sympathy…?"

She muttered.

Daisuke should be able to change.

He should be able to become kind while staying strong.

He was a Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like Mari, and unlike her he had time remaining.

"…"

She pulled out the key to open the cabin's door.

Her chest constricted when she noticed herself comparing Mari and Daisuke.

—Mari's replacement.

She thought so for a second.

Had she been able to cure her friend Mari's loneliness even just a bit?

Had she been at least somewhat helpful for Mari's life?

Arisu wanted to get to know Mushitsuki because she didn't know. She wanted to save Mushitsuki.

She wished to know about Mushitsuki since she hadn't known Mari was one.

But was that really it?

"Ngh…!"

Since she was deep in thought she didn't handle the key well.

Even if she looked for an answer she couldn't find it now.

So she thought.

Now she had to do what she should do. Both Daisuke and Kasuou were fighting for her selfishness.

The morpho butterfly on Arisu's shoulder suddenly took off in flight. It emitted a silver glow from its entire body, fluttering violently.

The morpho butterfly seemed to have the ability to sense Mushi. There was no mistake that there was one of the twins in the cabin—when she thought so, she felt dubious.

"Then what about them being unable to bring out their Mushi unless they're together…?"

Thinking it strange, she opened the door.

The girl inside the gloomy room turned around.

"Run!"

Arisu's vision was colored in white. A cold wind blew.

Head, stomach, shoulder, legs—the impact pierced through Arisu's entire body. She was blown from the door, her back crashing against the corridor wall.

"Kha!"

She nearly blacked out.

Yet she was somehow able to remain conscious by the impact of falling to the floor. Grabbing the metallic pole again, she raised her face.

"Oh my, I thought the mafia was attacking, but it was some vigorous young lady."

The entire cabin was covered in white frost. Below the large hole opened in the ceiling, probably from the floor above, a dress-wearing girl and a suit-wearing boy were standing.

There was no mistake the girl was one of the twins Arisu had seen on video.

The white-haired person was the boy called Jit. He grabbed the girl's arm to restrain her, wearing a mask-like cold smile.

"Also I thought I'd definitely killed her just now… but it seems like you're one of us."

The morpho butterfly was glowing above Arisu's head. She noticed the silver scales enveloping her. —She had no idea what kind of attack she'd received, but apparently the morpho butterfly had immediately protected her.

The morpho butterfly fluttered down to the pole Arisu was holding. Extending its tentacles, it transformed the weapon. The pole Arisu was holding instantly turned into a silver lance.

"Let go… of that girl…!"

Although hazy, Arisu gathered power in her shaking legs and stood up.

Jit's smile was unchanged. He spoke with a disgustingly polite tone.

"Seems like you came to take Urara. What's your goal? They'll probably net a good price, so are you trying to snatch them?"

"You're also a Mushitsuki, right? Don't you feel anything when you see these girls being sold right in front of you?"

Jit had looked at the morpho butterfly and said she was one of them. With the unseen attack just now, there were no doubts he was a Mushitsuki.

"Don't tell me you came here to save her?"

Jit sounded surprised. Yet he soon made an exasperated laugh.

"Yeah, we're both Mushitsuki. Yet they're auction items and I am the winner who benefits from that auction. —Even for Mushitsuki there are decisive differences."

Cold wind enveloped Arisu.

"…!"

Receiving a blow to her temples, Arisu rolled on the floor. She couldn't even see what the boy had done. She could only see shining, white flakes falling above her head.

"The difference is being strong or weak. Please don't put me together with weak Mushitsuki."

He assaulted Arisu with successive attacks. Even if she tried countering, she couldn't even tell the attack she was being subjected to. Every time she was helplessly struck, white fragments of something fell down.

Caught by Jit, Urara grimaced painfully. She tried shaking him off, but didn't have enough strength. Seeing she didn't summon her Mushi even at this stage, the twins' power being unusable unless they were together seemed to be true.

"By the way—"

Another blow pounded Arisu against the wall. Unable to even raise any voice, she fell on the floor with a thud.

"Mushitsuki with your kind of naïve thinking make me want to puke."

Looking down on the helpless, collapsed Arisu, Jit laughed at her.

"Oops, you can't hear me. You were so surprisingly obstinate I had to use too much—"

"…Run…"

Arisu moved only her face, glaring at Jit.

"Ugh—"

Jit received her gaze and felt a chill. His expression changed.

Arisu stretched and roused her upper body. She threw her lance at Jit without any hesitation.

Silver light flashed.

Letting go of Urara, Jit evaded the lance.

A storm of scales started blowing around.

"Wha…!"

Seeing the scene after the scale storm was gone, the white-haired boy became speechless.

A large hole was gouged in the wall. Nothing remained aside from the metallic spear rolling on the floor. It struck through so many layers of the wall that he could see the stormy sea through it.

"Run… quickly…!"

Arisu shouted at the barely standing Urara. Since her ribbon had been loosened up, half of her vision was covered by her hair.

"If you go to the main deck… you'll meet your sister…"

She was definitely there.

Daisuke should have rescued the other sister. She believed so and shouted.

"Please go…!"

Urara seemed confused while looking at Arisu. Yet she strongly bit her lips, and after a small Thanks she ran through the corridor.

Jit came back to her senses. Just as he stepped forward to pursue Urara, Arisu stood before him, wringing out her remaining energy.

"…Even though you finally threw your weapon you're going to stand in my way?"

Jit mocked her, his tone growing bitter.

"I'm relieved…"

With her dress all tattered, Arisu wore a listless smile.

"You're saying the same things as Daisuke…"

Jit furrowed his brows.

"But Daisuke was angry… Also, unlike you he did go to save the twins…"

Happiness welled inside her.

Although Daisuke spoke just like Jit, he was always still hesitating.

If he hesitated, it meant he could change.

"As I thought, Daisuke… wouldn't actually think like that…"

As she smiled, Arisu's knees folded.

The morpho butterfly landed on her shoulders while she was rapidly losing her consciousness.

"Right…? Mari…"

Looking at the morpho butterfly glowing in silver, her consciousness cut off. Her knees touched the floor and her head hanged.

The shocked Jit gulped.

"Hah. So she was just sleep-talking. —I'll just finish her off and go after Urara."

Cold air enveloped Arisu.

At the same time, the morpho butterfly emitted light.

On top of the fainted Arisu's shoulder its body expanded, changing to countless tentacles. They travelled through Arisu's body to her left leg.

"—Sorry, Arisu."

The mouth on Arisu's hanging head moved.

"So you were still conscious…!"

Jit grimaced. He immediately activated his ability, attacking Arisu.

The sound of something hard rubbing against the floor echoed.

The next moment several white thorns were created in the corridor. These thorns, born midair from empty space, stabbed the place Arisu occupied from all direction.

Yet by that time, Arisu had already moved behind the boy's back.

"Looks like us Fusion Mushitsuki are never honest…"

Behind her flowing hair, Arisu's—no, Hanashiro Mari's eyes laughed.

Mari's hair fluttered as she moved speedily to the boy's blind spot. He left leg exposed by the hem of her dress was covered in a silver, glowing pattern.

"Tch…!"

Jit activated his ability while still with his back to her. The white thorns born from air assaulted Mari.

Yet Mari's movements were a step quicker. Kicking the floor, kicking the wall, she kept moving to blind spots with superhuman agility.

"A Mushitsuki of Diorestoi… so your medium is carbon dioxide. You coagulate carbon dioxide into dry ice to attack the enemy—"

Jit looked flustered. Unable to even see Mari, he couldn't take aim.

"I'm tired of fighting this silly ability."

Mari's shining left leg stabbed into Jit's back.

"GAHHH!"

Jit was blown toward the cabin, destroying the door. Mari picked up the metallic rod thrown away by the impact.

"…"

The rod immediately turned into a silver lance. Mari rotated it wordlessly, stabbing the edge to the floor.

Shining scales blew around.

The surroundings controlled by frost were instantly melted.

"I've taken control of this area. You can't use Diorestoi's power in this domain anymore."

Mari turned a calm gaze towards Jit who was standing up and staggering.

"—Hmph."

Turning around, Jit put a hand to the wall. Now that his mask-like expression was broken, it was unclear whether he was angry or smiling.

"I'm also a pro here. I have no intention to fight unnecessarily. I don't care about you as long as I can secure the twins."

The boy certainly judged the situation quickly. Without any hesitation he kicked up at the protruding wall and flung himself toward the hole in the ceiling.

He probably concluded that he had no chances of victory and so abandoned the fight. Footsteps could be heard from above.

"…"

Mari also had no regrets stopping the battle. She turned around with a cold face.

Walking ahead while dragging her spear, a lone boy blocked her way.

"—We finally meet, Hanashiro Mari."

Since when had he been standing there?

How had he come this far?

The boy wreathed in flames, Harukiyo, calmly blocked the passage.

"Whenever Ichinokuro Arisu is in danger against Mushitsuki, you appear. —That seems to confirm this."

"…"

"But it's still incomplete. You've fused only with her left leg, huh. What will make you take over her completely? The enemy's strength? Or are there any other conditions?"

Mari looked up the boy's face vacantly. Yet she soon lost interest and passed next to his body shrouded in flames.

"I heard from Sensei."

Mari's feet stopped.

"He said you wanted the angel's medicine. Was that the answer you've reached in your final moments?"

The angel's medicine.

It came from the story of the picture book she had possessed at the hospital.

"I don't mind helping you. —But you'd have to help me with my goal, too."

"…"

Still expressionless, Mari started walking again. The morpho butterfly detached from her left foot, landing on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't ignore me, Hanashiro Mari."

The boy grabbed Mari's shoulder. His gaze toward her looked so hot it could almost scorch.

"…Where's Kusuriya Daisuke-san?"

She muttered, turning around.

Harukiyo widened his eyes. He was so surprised that his hand grabbing her shoulder slipped.

"I have to meet him."

She averted her face from the boy and kept walking.

A heat wave instantly attacked her from behind.

"Don't fuck with me, Hanashiro Mari!"

She kept walking without minding him.

"What's that brat to you? Who d'you think brought you out! I'm much stronger than that kid! If you're seeking help it should be me!"

"You're saying that you're stronger than him?"

Mari laughed at him without turning around.

"The Mushitsuki of Elvioréne are so earnest despite being pathetic that it's funny, but I hate you Diorestoi Mushitsuki. Although you pretend to be strong, you're all weaklings who can't even take one step forward on your own."

"What… was that…?!"

He was so angry that he became speechless. Harukiyo's angry shouts coming from behind turned into a heat wave and melted the surroundings.

"You bitch—"

While hearing this blood-lusted wailing, Mari held her head and cowered.

The deadline arrived.

Mari's consciousness was drifting away.

Dizziness combining fear and relief assaulted her. Inside the fear of her vanishing there was also a sense of relief at being released from her pain.

"…See you, Arisu."

See you tomorrow—

The promise she had made with her friend Arisu.

While smiling, Mari yielded herself to dark relief.

"—Nngh…"

Ichinokuro Arisu awoke with a groan.

Shaking her head, she looked around.

She was in a destroyed corridor. Turning around, she had no idea how long he'd been there, but she could see Harukiyo. If so then he was probably the one who'd saved her.

"Hey!"

Harukiyo grabbed Arisu's chin, bringing her face closer.

Although still hazy, Arisu shook off his arm and stood up.

"I have to go… to the main deck."

Yet she couldn't properly use her left leg. She crumpled to the floor so Harukiyo supported her.

"—Shit…! So you're Ichinokuro Arisu."

"Take me to the deck, Harukiyo."

Arisu finally regained her rational thinking. She had to go to the deck.

"Huh? Don't screw with me. Why do I have to be pushed by you after coming all the way here?"

"You're the one who said you'd 'do anything necessary'."

Grabbing the boy's suit, she asserted to him as if he didn't have a choice.

"You're the one who invited me here. Take responsibility until the very end."

Harukiyo became speechless.

Lightning flashed outside.

Part 5

"W-wait…! There has to another way to carry me!"

"Ah, zip it. If you make a fuss I'll touch all sorts of places."

"H-hey! Where are you—"

Two fussing voices echoed in the empty corridor.

Carrying Arisu on his shoulder, Harukiyo advanced through the lowest floor corridor. He had quite the stamina for being able to run all the way there without breaking a sweat.

"Here, we're there."

Harukiyo said with a dejected voice. He was sulky, perhaps hating himself for following Arisu's orders, or possibly for other reasons.

After the sudden stop, Arisu was violently lowered to the floor.

They were inside the vast lounge at the entrance to the main deck. The exit was made of glass, so they could see the rainy deck. Arisu could see the storm reached its peak.

"Ooh, you're here."

Kasuou sat on one of the sofas in the lounge. Next to her was Urara.

"Where's Daisuke? Is he not here yet?"

While staggering, Arisu surveyed the lounge. She couldn't see Daisuke anywhere and Urara wore an anxious expression.

"He works so slow despite being a Rank 1. —Oh, speak of the devil."

Kasuou looked behind Arisu and the rest. Arisu turned toward the lounge entrance divided to two.

They could see two people walking from another direction than that Arisu came from. They were a sulky Daisuke and a panting Kirara.

"Kirara!"

Hearing Urara's voice, Kirara raised her face. Seeing her older sister, her expression sparkled in joy.

It happened just as everyone in the lounge turned their gazes toward the corridor.

The sound of breaking glass resounded.

"…!"

Fierce wind and rain blew into the room.

"I will have one back first."

The white haired boy, Jit, smiled in front of the corridor connected to the lounge. He'd probably got there first from the corridor outside the ship, waiting for a chance. He grabbed Urara who was the closest to the deck and pulled her closer.

"Urara!"

Daisuke caught the shoulder of the little sister trying to approach. Next to Urara, Kasuou grimaced in displeasure. Harukiyo looked completely apathetic.

Arisu clenched her fist.

Since they all gathered in the lounge they were careless—

"I-I'm fine… don't be scared, Kirara."

The older sister spoke bravely, her face stiffening. Yet her sister Urara looked anxious.

"You can understand what I want here even without me saying, right? For now please hand over the other twin."

A white thorn created in air was pushed against Urara's neck.

"Either way I'm going to switch to a different ship before returning to shore. This time we'll give up on selling and go back with just the items. Someday you'll regret turning a pro into your enemy."

"So you have no problem making even an ally of justice your enemy?"

"So you think we'd just let you do as you fucking please?"

Daisuke hid Kirara behind his back as he stepped forward.

Kasuou also stood up from the chair.

"I do. Right, girl?"

Jit looked at none other than Arisu.

Arisu bit her lips. The white-haired boy saw through her personality—

"Wait, Daisuke, Kasuou."

Stopping them with a hoarse voice, they both anticipated her behavior.

"I refuse."

They both cleanly rejected. Jit clicked his tongue.

"Hey, you the sister."

Daisuke called in a low voice while a checkered beetle landed on his shoulder. Green tentacles stabbed into Daisuke's body.

"Bring out your Mushi. Since you're here together you can use your power, right?"

"Daisuke!"

Daisuke completely ignored Arisu's reproach.

"I'll cover for you. Do it."

Yet still showing a severe expression, Urara didn't seem to be moving.

"Urara is—"

Kirara's weak voice echoed in the lounge.

There was an air of tension between Jit, Daisuke and Kasuou, the three Mushitsuki. Since Urara didn't move, none of them could seize the chance to attack.

What blew the tension away was some light and rumble.

Along with the sound of thunder, the Amenotori swerved. As if a high wave crashed on the ship.

Jit immediately lost his balance.

Daisuke and Kasuou kicked the floor.

"No…!"

Arisu's voice was erased by the sounds of destruction.

Daisuke's fist and Kasuou's claws clashed with Jit. The floor cracked and the large sofa was blown away.

The only one unable to stay was Urara.

"Kyaaa!"

Blown by the impact, she was thrown outside the broken glass to the main deck.

Everyone in the lounge turned toward Urara.

Suddenly heading toward the deck, Arisu was shocked.

A white wall appeared in front of the girl rolling on the deck.

It was a high wave.

"URARA!"

Kirara shouted. A Mushi materialized next to the girl as she ran outside.

A long-armed mantis with a claw disproportionate to its body.

But there wasn't just one.

There was also a second, identical Mushi.

"…!"

Seeing this, Arisu understood.

—I've never seen a Mushitsuki with a Mushi identical to another person's.

Daisuke was right.

Arisu had also seen someone who could control multiple Mushi.

It wasn't that each of the twins had her own same Mushi.

Both of them were the Mushi of older sister Kirara. Saying that it couldn't be brought out unless they were together was also probably to conceal this fact.

Why did they both pretend to be Mushitsuki—she also instinctively knew the answer.

A Mushitsuki little sister and normal older sister.

The two sisters of differing fates were afraid to become separated—

"Ah…!"

Yet even the claws of the two mantises couldn't reach her sister. Urara appeared to have lost consciousness due to the impact. The large wave was about to cover the collapsing listless girl.

Arisu kicked the floor.

"Wait, Arisu!"

Ignoring Daisuke's call, she leapt to the deck. Forgetting about her wounds and the numbness of her left leg, she made a beeline toward Urara.

She'd been the one to decide to save the twins.

It had nothing to do with it serving as a replacement to her friend Mari.

She threw herself, extending her hand to the girl.

Arisu's hand grabbed the girl's arm.

"…!"

The wave swallowed the deck.

Unable to fight against the water pressure, it threw around Arisu who was hugging Urara. She was unable to breath and couldn't tell right from left.

"Gwah…!"

Feeling an impact at her back, she opened her eyes on the water.

She crashed against the railing. The recoil threw Arisu and Urara to the air.

"…!"

Just before being thrown out of the ship by the spraying water, Arisu reached for the railing.

I'll definitely save you—

Swearing this, Arisu's hand clenched.

"—"

Yet she couldn't feel the railing in her hand.

—With mere millimeters to spare, Arisu's hand grazed the railing and cut through air.

While falling to the raging sea she could see below, Arisu heard someone calling her name.

Arisu had the feeling Mari had shouted the same way during that moment a year ago when she'd seen her breath her last.

The moment she realized it was Daisuke's voice—Arisu hit the sea.

Part 6

"ARISU!!!"

The one to raise his voice was Daisuke.

He watched Arisu being thrown off the deck by the wave that snatched her away.

Even Harukiyo, apathetic until now, was shaken just like Daisuke. They stood in shock at this unbelievable sight.

"U-Urara—"

Kirara sank to her knees, paling.

"—Haha, you've had us completely fooled! But as long as we have you, the Mushitsuki, we have no need for your sister."

One girl closed the distance to the laughing boy.

It was Kasuou.

"You're also unneeded!"

White thorns stabbed into Kasuou.

"Which of us is the pro, I wonder?"

Jit's expression froze.

The countless thorns were all stopped without exception by the mist covering Kasuou's body. The blonde girl's black claws smashed the thorns as if devouring them.

"Such bullshit from someone who only fought against normal people!"

Kasuou's attack pushed Jit back. The overwhelming power opened a large hole in the floor, and the boy fell while unable to even raise a scream.

Daisuke wasn't calm enough to watch the battle between Jit and Kasuou.

He leapt toward the flooded deck.

Reaching toward the side of the railing where Arisu and Urara went to, he looked down the dark sea.

"…!"

Throwing his mask away, he looked around the stormy water surface, not caring that the unceasing rain got into his eyes.

He couldn't see Arisu and Urara anywhere. Due to the fighting there were alarm sounds on Amenotori, and the sailing has stopped. They shouldn't have flowed too far away.

"W-what was that woman thinking about—"

He heard a shaking voice from behind.

It was Harukiyo. The expression of the boy appearing next to Daisuke lacked its usual vigor. He held his forehead and muttered as if in delirium.

"Don't fuck with me… Doing that will kill Hanashiro Mari along with you…! Then what have I done all this for…!"

"Ahah, it's useless already. You won't be able to find her."

Belatedly, Kasuou arrived too. Kirara also came to the deck, but she apparently had no courage to look past the railing. She just stumbled down on the spot.

"—Not yet."

On the deck where everyone gave up, Daisuke alone looked down the sea surface. The railing he grabbed was crushed audibly.

"If we just know where she is we might be able to do something…!"

With one leg on the railing, Daisuke frantically scanned the sea.

"C'mon, Kakkou. Doesn't this mean your job's finished? Didn't you want to go back to the East Central Branch already?"

Even Kasuou's mocking didn't reach his ears. He gazed at the sea as to not miss even a single shadow.

Yet the violent waves of the night reflected nothing. Only the sound of thunder vainly passed above the ocean.

"Didn't you say you'll never die!"

He had met with Ichinokuro Arisu and lived under the same roof as her in order to monitor her.

Every day she would hit him and they would argue.

He could state clearly there wasn't a single day where he didn't want to finish the mission already.

—Yet he couldn't accept this ending.

Not when they haven't solved even one of the mysteries surrounding Hanashiro Mari.

Also—

Daisuke was yet to understand what kind of person Ichinokuro Arisu was.

How could she have been so reckless thus far? Why had she been intervening in other people's matters, including those of Daisuke himself? He didn't know the reason yet.

"Arisu!"

It happened just after Daisuke raised his voice.

Without any warning, the sea surface changed color.

One part of the sea covered in nightly darkness started glowing silver.

"…!"

Everyone on the deck gasped.

A chill ran through Daisuke's spine.

Under the Amenotori swam a silver glowing giant butterfly.

A blinding light illuminated the sky from the sea.

"What the… hell's that…"

Kasuou's hoarse voice spoke volumes about how overwhelmed they all felt. The giant morpho butterfly emitted not only silver light. Its power caused the surface of the sea to tremble.

"—It's Maturing."

Daisuke gritted his teeth.

The only case where a Mushi remains even after the death of the host.

That was Maturation.

When Mushi finish eating their host's dreams, the Mushitsuki dies. However, there are rare cases where Mushi who ate their host's dreams gain their own will, grow large and go on a rampage. This phenomenon is called Maturation.

The worst case scenario Daisuke could imagine was unfolding in reality.

Until now he hadn't ever connected Maturation with the morpho butterfly. It was because Hanashiro Mari's butterfly showed no signs of growing berserk.

Yet Daisuke finally understood the situation.

It still wasn't set in stone. But if Daisuke's reasoning was correct, then—

"Hanashiro Mari's Mushi was always on the cusp of Maturation. The existence of Arisu as a new host put a stop to that…"

"—So if the new host dies it'd definitely Mature?"

Harukiyo looked furious.

"I don't like it… I don't like it one bit…"

Behind the muttering Harukiyo, Kirara raised a shrill voice.

"Urara!"

Daisuke and the rest followed her gaze.

Illuminated by the morpho butterfly's glow, they could see from afar the figures of Arisu and Kirara on a wave.

They both appeared to be unconscious. Even so Arisu never let go of Urara.

Daisuke, Harukiyo, Kasuou—

The three Mushitsuki changed their expressions.

"Hanashiro Mari… have you lost to your Mushi?!"

Pillars of flame rose from the body of the raging Harukiyo. The crimson flames converged in the night sky, creating the form of a tiger beetle sporting fangs with different sizes.

"You call other people weaklings, but you were this weak!"

The devil's shout and the beetle's roar overlapped.

The flame pillar stabbed into the ocean.

The sea exploded. Much as if an underwater volcano had erupted, expanding steam filled their vision. The water started evaporating due to the extremely high temperatures, so it looked as if the water level lowered.

While spreading steam the beetle advanced through the sea.

Its fangs caught the giant morpho butterfly.

"UOOOOOOOOH!!!"

Harukiyo raised his right arm.

The tiger beetle made of flames sharply changed its angle. Still grabbing the morpho butterfly, it started ascending to the sky. Arisu and Kirara who were protected by the giant butterfly were taken, too.

Immediately after being dragged out of the sea, the morpho butterfly blew off the beetle with its silver scales. Leaving death throes behind, the flame Mushi vanished.

The flame-wreathed boy raised his hand in preparation for the second shot.

However—

"Hah…! Hah…! —Shit…!"

Harukiyo groaned, revealing his canines.

The morpho butterfly probably sensed it had gotten out of trouble, even if temporarily. The giant butterfly's figure instantly shrunk. —Even if he pulled the next flame attack, at this rate Arisu and Kirara would be fried.

"Hanashiro Mari's still fighting. Along with Arisu. —Kasuou!"

Going to the very back of the deck, Daisuke's entire body glowed in green.

"Fire again, Harukiyo."

Strengthening his entire body, Daisuke kicked the floor.

Kasuou standing on the middle of the deck extended her arm to the rushing Daisuke.

"You'll be in my debt, alright Kakkou?"

"Do as you wish."

In the middle of rushing toward the railing, he grabbed Kasuou's hand, spinning the girl with momentum.

Daisuke revolved while holding Kasuou like a discus thrower.

Whoosh—the sound of cutting through air flew above the ship.

The girl flung by Daisuke with superhuman power cut through the night sky, heading directly toward Arisu and Kirara.

"'Cuz I can't hold back."

Harukiyo swung his left hand.

In the far sky, the mist domain expanded by Kasuou captured Arisu and Urara. The claws brought them closer, wrapping them in dense mist.

"Don't dare burn off until you come back!"

The second tiger beetle pierced the black mist.

The flame Mushi drew a large arc in the night sky, catching Kasuou and the rest with its claws on the opposite side of the ship.

The tiger beetle's roar rumbled. Its crimson fangs carried Kasuou and the rest toward the ship. —While protected by Kasuou's mist, the girls looked as if they were riding a wave of flames.

While approaching the ship, the two kinds of abilities, explosive flames and mist, were mingling.

The gap of power between the powers soon appeared. The mist grabbed by the claws was rapidly vanishing. Daisuke could see Kasuou grimace as she approached them.

It wasn't that Kasuou was weak.

Harukiyo was simply too strong.

At this rate it wouldn't just end with Kasuou losing her Mushi and becoming a Fallen; they'd all be reduced to ashes.

Daisuke's body emitted a green glow again.

He leaned his body against the railing.

"Wait, Kakkou! It's too early!"

"She's at her limit."

The Amenotori momentarily tilted by the force from Daisuke's kick.

Leaping toward the pursuing flames, Daisuke hopped on the mist that protected everyone. Watching over Kasuou expending her power and growing hazy, he drew the large pistol from the holster on his back.

Tentacles swallowed the gun. Heat haze created by frictional heat shimmered inside the muzzle of the gun fused with the checkered beetle.

He thrust the muzzle against the head of the tiger beetle and squeezed the trigger.

Bombardment sounds thundered.

The whirl of flames exploded.

Inside the vanishing explosive flames, the airborne Daisuke used both arms to catch Arisu and Urara, and his mouth to bite on Kasuou's dress.

Below his eyes was the dark sea.

He couldn't reach all the way back to the Amenotori.

"Kirara!"

Daisuke's shout made the girl stumbled on the deck raise her face.

From the girl biting her lips, the claws of the two mantises extended. They caught those about to fall to the sea from both sides.

"Uahhh!"

The girl shouted. Wringing her powers, she pulled Daisuke and the rest to the ship.

But even so just reaching the railing took everything she had.

"Kh!"

Daisuke immediately flung everyone onto the ship. While the three girls were thrown on the deck, he reached for the railing.

Kch, a dry sound resounded.

Daisuke's nails scratched the railing.

—His hands couldn't reach.

Part 7

The moment his fingertips grazed the railing, one thing passed through Daisuke's mind.

It was a doubt.

It wasn't about the mysteries surrounding Hanashiro Mari or about Ichinokuro Arisu reaching out even toward complete strangers.

Why have I—

He unconsciously grabbed the hand reaching for him from the other side.

Been trying to save Arisu—

Even Harukiyo had given up on her once. Kasuou had abandoned her while smiling. Daisuke himself had also thought the same as them.

But even though he saw Arisu fall to the sea, he couldn't give up.

And he couldn't understand the reason for that.

"Hmph."

The hand reaching from the other side of the railing grasped his arm.

It was Harukiyo.

It was a rescuing hand from an unexpected person.

Yet he understood when he locked eyes with the flame boy.

Is he the same as me—

It wasn't that he wanted to save Daisuke. He also didn't understand anything but he didn't like it. As if he was saying only Daisuke could solve this mystery.

Raising Daisuke lightly with one hand, Harukiyo pulled him to the deck.

Landing safely and then standing up, he instantly checked the condition of the collapsed girls.

"Urara! Urara!"

The younger sister clung to the older and cried.

Arisu was facing upwards, her chest slowly rising and falling. She'd probably lost her consciousness along with Urara from the impact of hitting the sea. She didn't seem to have swallowed much water.

Meanwhile, Kasuou was conscious but couldn't really move. She groaned and desperately tried standing.

"Haa…"

The exhausted Daisuke sat below the railing.

He ended it without anyone dying.

And this meant that basically—everything turned out like Arisu wanted.

But as expected he couldn't agree to it.

"I don't like this."

He heard an annoyed voice from overhead.

Although tired, his pride prevented Harukiyo from sitting. Still hanging to the railing, he glared at Arisu.

"She made me help people… what's up with her."

"I dunno. Kasuou and I are also bad at saving people."

"Also—Kakkou, you bastard."

Harukiyo's gaze passed from Arisu to Daisuke.

"What relationship do you have with Hanashiro Mari? She's said she wanted to meet you."

"I dunno about that either. What have you done alone with Arisu?"

The two boys argued while looking at the four girls.

Kirara was caring for the unconscious Urara. Later she would probably be taken by the SEPB and separated from her sister.

Yet the twin wiping her older sister's face looked much stronger than she had been in the warehouse. It was probably her first time saving her sister since they were born. How Kirara would live from now on depended on her.

A Mushitsuki who until now never saved people before rushed out to do so and even managed to save the captured twins.

The rain wetting the person responsible for this ceased.

A boat with lights approached the ship. A voice claiming to be the authorities resounded through its speakers. They'd probably seen Harukiyo's ability from afar and thought there was an explosion.

Nearly all of the battle personnel on the ship have been rendered powerless by Daisuke and the rest. If there was an investigation, the sponsors of the auction party would all be arrested without being able to resist.

Both Harukiyo and Daisuke naturally ended up looking at Arisu.

The more they investigated the mysteries surrounding Hanashiro Mari, the more mysteries they found.

Ichinokuro Arisu.

The two boys were toyed with by her late best friend, but this girl was confusing them as well—

"Shit… I don't get it at all. I didn't even have a chance to enjoy myself."

"I didn't have that in the first place."

Above the heads of the two bickering boys who forgot they were enemies, a small fissure was born in the dark clouds.

The first rays of moonlight appeared from the night sky.

The blinding light covered Ichinokuro Arisu.

Notes

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